Mountain biking’s movers and shakers select their favourite places to ride. Here’s one such trail chosen by the legend that is Tracy Moseley.

>>> 100 best mountain bike routes in the UK

“Having had the amazing opportunity to ride bikes all over the world for the last 25 years, I never thought I would be writing about one of my home trails as being one of my favourite, but I think it’s like so many things about your home – it’s just good and a place that makes you feel happy.

“I grew up riding bikes on the Malvern Hills. I even raced one of my first ever races at the Malvern Hills Classic. It’s certainly not crazy, gnarly MTB destination but the eight-mile range of hills has a max elevation of 450m and is littered with paths that can really tire you out over a few hours, as you are up or down the whole time.

“There are not many trees on the hills, so for me ithis ride has always felt a bit alpine in character, with our own hairpin bends and contouring singletrack. The section of trail I have chosen as my favourite is actually known as “my favourite trail”, when I am discussing where I have riding with my husband.

“It’s a beautiful, narrow singletrack that clings to the edge of the hills overlooking the town of Malvern. It starts off with some techy rock slabs, then heads around a rocky outcrop before picking up speed, diving in and out of the hillside, all along a narrow one-foot wide dirt rut, with grass bank sides. You continue to pick up speed until you eventually join an opening and then have a choice of trails to exit.

“Surprisingly, as well as bringing me so much fun, this trail has also brought me a lot of pain. In 2011 I was riding it one late summer evening on my XC bike – in full Lycra and seat up – when the dry summer dust had caused the edges of the rut to break up and I got slightly off line.

“The next thing I knew, my right shoulder hitting the ground, as my front wheel had washed off the edge of the ledge. As always happens, I fell on the same shoulder I had dislocated seven years earlier, but fortunately this time it was not dislocated, just some tears in the rotator cuff muscles.

“It still required surgery and three months of rehab, but thankfully it’s been fine ever since. I now just respect my favourite trail that little bit more.”

– Tracy Moseley

Tracy Moseley, MTB legend

Tracy Moseley is the UK’s most successful female gravity rider.a former DH world champion and World Cup winner, she then switched to EWS and took three titles in a row. She now runs T-MO racing team and works for Trek Factory Racing MTB teams, as well as still riding and racing her bike.